Ajarn

I am sure they get some no and some yes... You guys represent the no... But the 'yes' has been the easiest way for them, so why should they care what is being said here? I can't see this as making one bit of difference.

Well Ajarn, sorry to disagree , but with all due respect , if posting here keeps one person from getting ripped off, then I think it does make a difference. and if we all stick our head in the sand, then guess what ,,,,, we become the same as the Thai's and the mai pen rai...

No, I don't think that way about thais, or farang, nor do I feel that disagreeing with you makes me anything like them...

I am sure they get some no and some yes... You guys represent the no... But the 'yes' has been the easiest way for them, so why should they care what is being said here? I can't see this as making one bit of difference.

Sounds like what you're doing is working well for you, so I will simply add my congratulations!

Well, 7 kg and counting is nothing compared to your dramatic weight loss. Congrats.... I think the thing it to train your self not to eat all the yummies...... When i get the munchies...... diet coke seems to kill it in its tracks (or an apple like tonight)

Hey, maybe that's why I live off diet coke! An apple is a favorite along with a banana. I really don't eat much shit food...

You do look great in that last photo!

My husband is getting that married look (as my sister says ) and is now having enough health issues that he can't exercise like he used to (loved to play volleyball but with a pinched nerve in his back thats out). He has always been an active guy and has liked to eat, so cutting back on the food seems to be the hardest part for him.

But, at the latest large family gathering, he was told by many people that he looked fat and was quite mortified to find that he was being mistaken (by people in town, not his relatives) for his much larger, fatter cousin.

We dont' have a pool, but we do have the ocean. I shall try to get him more motivated to swim. What motivated you Ajarn, if you don't mind my asking?

Well, because I knew that I would be dead now if I didn't get some excercise. I was ready for relaxation, but not that much! I shaved my head (and everywhere else) and became a swimmer... Since then, my diabetes is no longer an issue, and everything in my body is now normal...

Working while on a retirement visa.. Does that sound right ??

Of course its not legal..

Why not ? I am a Bar manager and I have a WP and I am on a Retirement Visa

I don't believe you are on a retirement visa with a wp....

although she was apparently still alive but badly wounded, they set fire to her body, completely burning it

This smells, to me, like someone is trying to emotionalize the issue... I mean, who was it apparent to?? No witnesses, and the body was completely burned. How could anything be apparent to anyone???

Of course, we have a guy presenting someone else's problems, but not clearly or completely, either. Plus, this is the 'mens side' of the issue... I wonder what the truth is, and I wonder what the women says. Until I have heard both sides, anything I do hear means nothing to me...

A truly independent and educational television station

or a mouthpiece for government propaganda.

Did you really expect anything controlled by any government to not express its views?

Come on dude, get real...

Eating wise I think moderation is the key but very hard to do when we have all the easy foods there.

This is what made it the easiest, for me. I didn't have any restricions on what foods I can have or not have. Only the amount was important to me. If I wanted a pizza,one slice per day was my limit for one meal, because it's only 400 calories. I could pig out on four slices, but this meant no more food that day... I Never got hungry at all, so for me it was no sweat. My personal key to success was the pool...Being in a pool feels great beause I have no weight at all.. fat floats!

Just wondering what your view is now having lost the weight , do you feel you should have done it sooner ?

Absolutely, my life would have been much happier if I was not obese. As I said earlier, I really didn't give a shit then, but I had no discipline, for whatever the reason.

You look five years younger from the first pix and a lot healthier , no kidding

Thanks, I like hearing that

Starting point alot less, but similar approach. Am not eating sweets / chocolates / pizza's etc. Bowl of muesli and glass of orange juice in the morning, few cups of very light "coffee" during the day ( i.e. one third of a tea spoon), and then something light at night ( i..e chicken wrap, Japaneses raw fish ).

Have one day a week I eat anything and everything I want...... can't live all my life without eating a chocolate / ice cream / pizza

First week not eating lunch was not easy, but substituted fruit first, and then had early dinners ( 4 or 5pm ) , now can happily go to 7pm no problem.

Loosing a kg a week. (starting point 106, heading down to 92 ). No swimming pool around,and difficult to access as work alot.

Sounds like what you're doing is working well for you, so I will simply add my congratulations!

Eating wise I think moderation is the key but very hard to do when we have all the easy foods there.

This is what made it the easiest, for me. I didn't have any restricions on what foods I can have or not have. Only the amount was important to me. If I wanted a pizza,one slice per day was my limit for one meal, because it's only 400 calories. I could pig out on four slices, but this meant no more food that day... I Never got hungry at all, so for me it was no sweat. My personal key to success was the pool...Being in a pool feels great beause I have no weight at all.. fat floats!

Just wondering what your view is now having lost the weight , do you feel you should have done it sooner ?

Absolutely, my life would have been much happier if I was not obese. As I said earlier, I really didn't give a shit then, but I had no discipline, for whatever the reason.

I thought some proof of my claims would be nice, even if only headshots

Eating wise I think moderation is the key but very hard to do when we have all the easy foods there.

Has anyone heard similar to what I was told years maybe 15 years ago by a seed supplier regarding grass seed?

I wanted to buy lawn grass seed to seed the large yard of a village house I was living in. I was told at that time the sale of grass seed was restricted due to concerns of the grass taking over rice farming land.

Things may have changed since then or the restrictions may have been applicable to certain areas. I haven't had the need to buy grass seed since then so haven't had any recent information.

Which is why places that sell it are rare, and also why the price has more than doubled in the last year. As a result, why not purchase the large pieces at Kamthing Market?? For 10 to 20 baht per 1/2 meter size you can find some nice grass there. Plus, I was just thinking about the time/cost comparisons with seed, with the 'din dam' and 'experienced' labour, I can guess that the costs are not apart much, if they are at all...

His sweeping generalizations about ex-pats and web forums place him in the same category as those he criticizes.

Perhaps it's his holier than thou trips to local barstools that are the problem.

The robbing of basic human rights is a real problem in the current climate.

The ramblings of drunken tourists and ex-pats is not.

His letter only seems to be patting himself on the back for being soooo much more savvy than everyone else.

A ridiculous generalization that only serves to hurt a group of people already suffering undue criticism from the present government.

Yes there are idiots out there, but the majority of forum members are ex-pats with a intimate and respectful knowledge of Thai culture.

I can think of one forum geared to the Pattaya sex trade that might relate to his concerns, but most forums I have visited and certainly Thaivisa, are full of knowledgeable and respectful people.

His ramblings carry no weight and in my opinion are ridiculous.

Eric

I Fully agree, 100%

What kind of fool would wear such glasses on Songkran, on a bike?

It was his first Songkran.

He will know better next year.

Maybe he will, maybe he won't...

Some take longer to learn.

Its my first Songkran too since moving here last year.

Never wanted to be here for the idiocy in past years and found out why this morning when some Thai cretin thought it was a good idea to hurl a bucket of water in my face as I was riding my motorcycle. Knocked a 200 quid(14k Baht) pair of sunglasses off, they have my prescription built in and smashed them.

Ha bloody ha.

When is Songkran next year? Think I will make a visa run next one.

One year from today

What kind of fool would wear such glasses on Songkran, on a bike?

That is impressive! Congratulations.

Aside from being lighter has it had a big impact on mobility and general feeling of well being?

I haven't noticed a big difference in my mobility because my mobility was highly restricted from my stroke six years ago. But I can still get into a pool and move around a bit, which is my only form of excercise. But, yes, my general feeling of well being has increased a lot!

Thanks for letting us know how you lost your weight, Ajarn; I was wondering how you accomplished it as this is no mean feat. Been trying to shed about 20 kg for a year now - to no avail, so I too am reconfirming my on again-off again plan of building a pool now that you have shown the way. Still have not gotten out your way to check out your self-designed solar water heater which presumably is your pool heater too. Once I get a vehicle I'll phone and attempt to arrange a visit convenient to you. Have a huge data bank on pools but nothing on the plumbing system...so I would appreciate it if you could find time in your schedule to impart some wisdom, again once I am assured transport.

Congratulations on your weight loss...not many mortals have even come close to the amount you had lost!

As I previously said, it takes discipline. I was never motivated enough to give a shit before, but now I do care. Basically, it's eating fewer calories than burned through the day. For me, that includes pizza hut, chocolate, and all the rest of my favorites, but measured to balance it all against my swimming one hour and then sitting/sleeping the rest.. At first, it's not easy, but if you have the discipline it can be done. Also, I changed for my life, not simply the time it took to lose the weight. For the first year, I had no scale, only relying on good info from the internet for calories, and my discpline. When I finally found a scale that measured up to 240 kilos (my original weight), I weighed myself, and assumed the scale was broken because it said I weighed less than 160 kilos... It wasn't broken, thank god . I'm now at 130 kilos (less than 300lbs) which I haven't seen in more than 35 years, with 30 more kilos to go to reach my goal. These last few kilos are the hardest for me to lose, and I'm not sure why... But, they are leaving me.

Most people who have been here for many years say it's best to rent, not build or buy a home. If you want to know why, look at the newbies experience...

I had just read the "Symtoms of a Stroke" thread in the health forum and I was getting ready to make an appointment with Ram Hospital!

Lucky you! They (stroke) definately turn your world upside down...

Sorry, but for some reason, I doubt the truthfullness of the story.. Nothing to do with the reporter, who I don't know, but this is something I could expect to happen in a large public school, but at Prem, it just doesn't make sense to me that it could happen there. I mean the very personalized relationship between staff and kids there would seem to me to make this story not likely...

Ajan, I respect your views but your expectations are based on what? Real facts about the school or what you think a school like that s h o u l d be or what they promote themselves to be? Based on what you wrote, I guess that you would not expect the school to have had a drug problem last year involving the suspension of about 15 students and expulsion of about 5 more on one occasion. The drug problem was in the Thai newspapers last year and the school held meetings with parents about it. If you doubt the truthfullness of the information, check it out with parents who have children in the senior school there and I think you will find confirmation.

"Based on what you wrote, I guess that you would not expect the school to have had a drug problem last year involving the suspension of about 15 students "

Why would you say that? On what I wrote? That doesn't make any sense to me. I know Prem ain't perfect. My point was that conflicts between teachers and students didn't seem likely, in that case.

Sorry, but for some reason, I doubt the truthfullness of the story.. Nothing to do with the reporter, who I don't know, but this is something I could expect to happen in a large public school, but at Prem, it just doesn't make sense to me that it could happen there. I mean the very personalized relationship between staff and kids there would seem to me to make this story not likely...

Ajan, I respect your views but your expectations are based on what? Real facts about the school or what you think a school like that s h o u l d be or what they promote themselves to be? Based on what you wrote, I guess that you would not expect the school to have had a drug problem last year involving the suspension of about 15 students and expulsion of about 5 more on one occasion. The drug problem was in the Thai newspapers last year and the school held meetings with parents about it. If you doubt the truthfullness of the information, check it out with parents who have children in the senior school there and I think you will find confirmation.

I was aware of last years drug problem involving 15 students. My regard for the school went up when they expelled many students involved. That is not particularly common at for profit educational enterprises and there are several schools in Thailand that are overweight with students who have had problems elsewhere. I was glad to see Prem had a low tolerance for such things. Any more details you can share on this latest scandal?

Hate to put a damper on this latest 'scandal', but it's not really a scandal at all. However, hats off to the students and the initiative they showed.

Nearly all of what mongoose stated concerning the incident is reliable as far as I know, with the exception of the culprit. The thief was NOT a teacher but a locally hired young woman from Chiang Mai whose role at the High School was to assist teachers in setting up displays and some clerical work.

She was fired on the day and police are following up. I've heard some talk about what's happened to her since, but won't embellish as I can't substantiate it.

Thanks for the clarification that no teachers were involved..

We are considering a move from UK to CM but would like to know if there are any regular social meetings of people with similar interests/hobbies as we would not want to live in isolation but integrate into the community.

Can anyone help please or direct me to any information ?

Maybe the Chiang Mai Expat club is what you're looking for. [email protected] They have quite a few special interest groups.

I am sorry but this is cr@p. Worse than that, it is false libellous cr@p and this is the second thread concerning the Dukes that you, 1bigeater56, have turned to personal attacks against myself in person, rather than addressing the issues I raise. I will be discussing this with other moderators to see if action is required in your case. Until a decision is reached, I am placing you on moderator preview of your further posts. You can rest assured that, apart from bringing this to the attention of the moderating team, I will take no personal part in any decision that might be reached.

Action supported p1p.

As I'm sure do many of the CM locals.

But, not all, to be sure!